IOM Development Fund project in Madagascar presented at the 20th SCPF meeting

News

Dodoma – A new study has urged member countries of the East African Community (EAC) to adopt labour migration policies based on international best practices, improve data management and boost the operationalization of One Stop Border Posts. The comparative study assesses migration patterns and policy issues in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania – four of the six EAC countries.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, on 19-20 February 2019, supported the National Registration Bureau (NRB) to plan for community barazas to create awareness on the National Identity Registration in Lunga Lunga, Kwale County (the border with Tanzania) and in Tezo, Kilifi County. The activities reached more than 500 residents. IOM has been a partner of the Kenya government in promoting safe migration including legal identity requirements.

IOM in close partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Trade (MFA) launched on the 29th November the ‘Building the Capacity of the Mauritian Government to Strengthen Linkages with the Mauritian Diaspora’ project.

Harare – A three-day IOM-supported Government of Zimbabwe workshop this week brought together multiple stakeholders tasked with conducting an in-depth situational analysis of migration in the country to aid the design of a robust National Migration Policy (NMP).

“Migration is cross cutting as a number of sector ministries have migration mandates,” said Alois Matongo, Director for Policy and Research in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.

As part of the ongoing efforts towards strengthening the capacity of the Government of Kenya to manage National Identity Programmes, IOM in partnership with the Kenya School of Government (KSG) organized two Training of Trainers (ToTs) involving 40 government officials from different counties including Bungoma, Garissa, Kisii, Kiambu, Kisumu, Meru, Migori, Nakuru, Nairobi, Malindi, Makueni, Marsabit, West Pokot and Wajir.

"I want to talk about my journey. Three years ago, I came alone all the way from Darfur, Sudan. I left my family who still live in a refugee camp in Chad." Abas, 23, a participant from our filmmaking workshop in Geneva, Switzerland.

This year, we wanted to take the Global Migration Film Festival one step further and directly engage with migrant communities.

Kabul – IOM, in partnership with the Government of Afghanistan, this week (15-17/7) organized a workshop to help Afghanistan to engage with its diaspora abroad to promote the country’s development.

The event was the first of its kind in Afghanistan and was attended by 16 representatives of various government bodies, including the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, which is currently the lead ministry responsible for diaspora engagement.

Lusaka – IOM and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat signed an Agreement to work together to implement a European Union funded project to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade flows. The Agreement was signed by COMESA’s General Secretary General, His Excellency Sindiso Ngwenya and IOM’s Regional Director for Southern Africa, Charles Kwenin, in Lusaka, Zambia on 8 June 2018.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, facilitated this week (05/06) the first Regional Policy Forum on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change (MECC) for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) Member States in Pretoria, South Africa.

Budva – Advance Passenger Information systems (API) became mandatory for all 192 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) member states on 23 February. This means that all ICAO states must be able to collect data about passengers and crew members prior to their arrival, making travel easier for all and improving border controls.

Santo Domingo – The results of the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) in the Dominican Republic reveal advances in the legal and institutional capacity of the Dominican Government to guarantee the socioeconomic well-being of migrants. The MGI was implemented with the engagement of 22 public agencies, under the coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) and the technical support of IOM, the UN Migration Agency.